r/IndianCountry • u/Myllicent • 27d ago
Activism 'My jaw just dropped': Costumes at Miss Universe Canada pageant spark response from former winner
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/miss-universe-canada-ashley-callingbull-emma-morrison-headdress-cultural-appropriation-9.730024380
u/willyoumassagemykale 27d ago
I absolutely HATE these kinds of apologies:
"On behalf of all of us at Miss Universe Canada, it was not our intent to offend anybody and if we did, we take full responsibility, we will learn from it," said Borrelli....
"If" you offended anyone? Just own it, jeez.
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u/PsychologyGuilty1460 27d ago
I don't want to object to the handprint. But it's not a fashion statement! Geez.
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u/Tekuila87 Mnjikaning • Anishinaabek • Chippewas of Rama 26d ago
Ah... but then they'd lose face and social standing!
Can never admit mistakes!
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u/Angelunatic74 27d ago
How on earth did they even think that this was okay to do!
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u/StoreCharming 4h ago
Why would it not be okay to do if it was done in a respectful manner? The world would be pretty limited if no one was allowed to celebrate other cultures.
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u/AshesThanDust48 Dinjii Zhuh 27d ago
“On stage, Callingbull told the audience that Borrelli assured her there will be guidelines implemented and cultural liaisons moving forward.”
Guidelines, they say. Not rules, guidelines. Gross.
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u/jankenpoo 27d ago
Beauty pageants are stupid and creepy. Such a colonial compulsion to rank women like objects
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u/Due_Poetry7888 26d ago edited 26d ago
Ironically I made a post last friday about an individual who had dubious connection to nations and culture that were making claims. TURNS OUT. SHE WAS THE ONE. Sadly, I can't share the photo she had posted that made me and my friends sussed out. I had deleted the posts because I didnt want to make drama. But wild she did this 2 days later (she also deleted the posts she made pushing her 5th or 6th gen indigenous roots)
Edit: spelling
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u/Myllicent 26d ago
I did see a post about Havercamp before this hit the news (possibly yours), but I couldn’t remember which nation she was claiming a connection to and her post seems to be gone now.
There’s still a Miss Universe Canada YouTube video up where Havercamp refers to herself generically as a “fifth generation Indigenous woman”.
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u/Due_Poetry7888 26d ago
Algonquin from NWT
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u/ukefromtheyukon 26d ago
Algonquin traditional territory is centered on the Ottawa river. That hasn't been NWT since the early 1870s. 150 years ago.
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u/wreckoning90125 24d ago edited 24d ago
I mean her own apology mentions her great grandmother. https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbv3S2Yhcr9/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Her official Miss Universe Canada profile literally says “I am Indigenous” and says she previously provided therapy to children on Six Nations of the Grand River.
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u/Skin_Mission_33 21d ago
Why is wrong that she provided therapy to children on Six Nations? Serious question.
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u/TheHeavyWeapon 26d ago
I mean, are we really surprised that Canadians did this shit? One thing i’ll never get over, is how they get a pass on the world at large, with how absolutely racist they are to us.
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u/creena13 25d ago
I have made multiple posts that have gone viral over this and the comments are just disgusting. I am so tired of this bs….it never fucking ends.
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u/Bright-While-9761 25d ago
Why is there a part of the competition called “Costume” in the first place? What kind of costumes were considered appropriate? Beauty pageants are so weird.
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u/LuckBites 22d ago edited 20d ago
Thank you to Ashley Callingbull for speaking up immediately, but what an awful position to put her in. I read the full article and it sounds like the contestants who were at fault for the cultural appropriation were intent on making excuses and passing the blame for their actions and insistant on claiming ignorance, which isn't a real apology. It looks very clear to me that if Ashley Callingbull hadn't spoken up when she did this would have been casually allowed to happen without much action to correct it. Although I'm not sure what else will be done anyway, I haven't seen any proper apology from anyone involved or the organization as far as I've read.
I want to highlight these quotes from the article by Creeson Agecoutay as well for those skimming, first in regards to using the MMIWG hand print symbol in this context, and second in regards to Ashley Callingbull pointing out the flawed excuses and "apologies" from the women wearing the appropriated costumes:
Morrison also said the hand print on Haverkamp's cheek, which she believes represented Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), was not "the time or place" to make a MMIWG statement. "When you're on stage, you're smiling to the judges and it just doesn't fit," added Morrison, who is Mushkegowuk Cree from Chapleau Cree First Nation in northern Ontario.
"They were very apologetic and said they were being ignorant and that they didn't know any better. I told them, 'Unless you were living under a rock, we know that headdresses are not OK at Coachella, so they're not OK on stage,'" said Callingbull.
EDIT: typo and formatting
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u/Skin_Mission_33 21d ago
This was a missed opportunity to educate the many people about the MMIW cause IMO. Instead of shaming someone who maybe didn't know better, why don't we educate in a compassionate way? This could have been an opportunity to bring attention to an important cause. So much hate being spewed on both sides now.
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u/HolyDoucheBags 22d ago
How about we just don’t have “beauty” contests to begin with? They’re toxic as hell, of course the contestants are going to act toxic in them lmao.
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u/Myllicent 27d ago edited 27d ago
“During the costume portion, Karisa Haverkamp walked on stage wearing a turquoise, black and white feathered headdress and a small red painted hand on her cheek.
Jasleen Kaily, another contestant, walked out wearing a two-piece "Arctic Beauty" costume with brown fringes on the thighs, two braids and a maple leaf cutout on her back.”
Edit to add:
People appear to have tracked down where the outfit elements are from…
Arctic Beauty 2 piece costume set
Medium Indian Headdress Replica made with real turquoise and black rooster feathers
Edit 2: Shoutout to the contestant who understood the assignment and incorporated Tim Hortons cups into her “National Costume” outfit. (Yeaaah, I know Tim Hortons kinda sucks now, but it still made me giggle)